Method and apparatus for providing end-to-end high quality services based on performance characterizations of network conditions

• US 20060285489A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Francisco, David R., Sankalia, Anish, Moganti, Madhav, Novotny, Hanan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/851 Dynamic network selection or re-selection, e.g. after degradation of quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 : Identifying congestion

Abstract

A method and apparatus enforcing and improving end-to-end service quality, based on end-to-end service performance characterization of network conditions, for a convergence enabled end-user device during a user session for service.

Claims

1. A method of improving service quality for a convergence enabled end-user device during a user session for service, comprising:

establishing said user session between said convergence enabled end-user device and a destination node via a first group of a plurality of network elements;

measuring performance values associated with said session from real-time performance metrics received from said first group of network elements; and

adapting a network routing associated with at least one network element of said first group in response to said measured performance values indicating degraded service quality for said session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said improving service quality comprises selecting improved quality portions of said network to support said user session for service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said measured performance values comprise performance values of network components supporting said user session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring performance values comprises monitoring performance metrics of said plurality of network components during said session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said user session comprises receiving a session initiation request for a particular access network from a user of said convergence enabled end-user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring performance values comprises determining at least one of Bit Error Rate (BER), signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, power level, path congestion, latencies, network element utilization, network link utilization, jitter, network element reliability, service reliability, routing path taken and routing path cost.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring performance values comprises time stamping packets passing though said first group of network elements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring performance values comprises:

computing said performance values from said performance metrics; and

determining whether at least one of said measured performance values exceeds at least one associated threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of adapting comprises switching from using at least one of said first group of network elements to at least one other group of networks element during said session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said user session comprises:

determining, by said convergence enabled end-user device, an optimal access medium to establish said session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said user session is performed using past session history of said first group of network elements.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said past session history of said first group of network elements is used to adapt said establishing said user session.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said past session history is used to update a knowledge base associated with said first group of network elements.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said user session comprises using prior session history information to adapt the session being initiated to current network conditions.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing said user session comprises predicting an optimal service alternative to establish said session for services based on past and current network conditions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring performance values comprises collecting said performance metrics at each network element and said convergence enabled end-user device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring performance values comprises collecting said performance metrics at a centralized network element and said convergence enabled end-user device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of adapting comprises switching from using at least one of said first group of network elements to at least one other network element during said session based on knowledge obtained from past performance of said network.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said adapting comprises switching from using at least one of said first group of network elements to at least one other network element during said session by predicting optimal network elements based on past performance and current conditions of said network.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying an end user of at least one network condition via at least one of a visual and audio indicator.

21. A method, comprising:

measuring performance values associated with a user session between a convergence enabled end-user device and a destination node, said session supported by a first plurality of network elements; and

adapting a network routing associated with at least one of said first plurality of network elements in response to said measured performance values indicating a degraded service quality for said session.

22. Apparatus for improving service quality for a convergence enabled end-user device during a user session for service, comprising:

means for establishing said user session between said convergence enabled end-user device and a destination node via a first group of a plurality of network elements forming a network;

means for measuring performance values associated with said session from real-time performance metrics received from said first group of network elements; and

means for provisioning at least one network element of said first group in response to said measured performance values indicating degraded service quality for said session.